book

XR Development with Unity

Name: XR Development with Unity
ISBN: 9781805128120

by Anna Braun, Raffael Rizzo

November 2023

Intermediate to advanced

284 pages

8h 21m

English

Packt Publishing

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XR Development with Unity
ContributorsAbout the authorsAbout the reviewers
Preface
Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookDownloading the example code filesAdditional ResourcesConventions usedGet in touchShare Your ThoughtsDownload a free PDF copy of this book
Part 1 – Understanding the Basics of XR and Unity
Chapter 1: Introduction to XR and Unity
Understanding XR and its different forms (VR, AR, and MR)What is the difference between AR and MR?How did AR, VR, MR, and XR evolve?How did Unity evolve as a platform for XR development?Summary
Chapter 2: The Unity Editor and Scene Creation
Technical requirementsSetting up the Unity development environmentInstalling the Unity HubInstalling the Unity EditorLoading a sample scene as a new Unity projectChoosing the right render pipelineGetting to know the Unity Editor and its interfaceExploring the Unity interfaceUsing the Grid and Snap systemUnderstanding GameObjects and componentsUnderstanding the default new sceneAdding a colliderCreating a basic scene in Unity and adding objectsBuilding a table with primitivesChanging the appearance of the ground, table, and sphereCreating a brick wall materialUnpacking a prefabImporting from the Unity Asset StoreUnderstanding Unity’s lighting pipelineChoosing the right lighting settingsAdding lights and a skyboxExploring light and reflection probesSummary
Part 2 – Interactive XR Applications with Custom Logic, Animations, Physics, Sound, and Visual Effects
Chapter 3: VR Development in Unity
Technical requirementsWindowsmacOSLinuxWhat is VR development?Exploring the contrasts between classical and VR game developmentUnderstanding different approaches to power VR headsetsSetting up a VR project in Unity and the XR Interaction ToolkitCreating a project in Unity for VR developmentInstalling XR Plug-in Management and XR Plug-insInstalling the XR Interaction Toolkit and samplesExploring the XR Interaction Toolkit demo sceneExamining the pre-configured playerTeleportingExploring grabbable objectsInspecting different types of UI elementsInteracting via buttonsExploring gaze interactions and climbingDeploying and testing VR experiences onto different VR platforms or simulatorsInstalling the XR Device SimulatorUsing the XR Device SimulatorSetting up SteamVRSetting up OculusSummary
Chapter 4: AR Development in Unity
Technical requirementsUnderstanding the AR landscapeWhat types of AR experiences exist?What are marker-based and markerless AR?Understanding AR input types for interactionPopular AR toolkits for UnitySetting up an AR project in Unity using AR FoundationUnderstanding AR Foundation’s architectureCreating an AR project with Unity’s AR templateChanging the project settingsUnderstanding the AR Session GameObjectExploring the AR Session Origin GameObjectPlacing a simple cube into the AR sceneImplementing plane detection in AR FoundationImplementing touch inputs and anchorsTesting AR experiences directly in UnityInstalling AR Foundation 5.0 or later versions and related packagesChoosing an environment and testing the sceneDeploying AR experiences onto mobile devicesDeploying onto AndroidDeploying onto iOSSummary
Chapter 5: Building Interactive VR Experiences
Technical requirementsBuilding interactive VR experiences without codeImporting cars from the Asset StoreAdding the player, teleport anchors, and button to the sceneInteractable events that can be triggeredUnderstanding animations and animator systemsAnimating a 360-degree car rotationScaling a police carBuilding interactive VR experiences with C#Understanding when to use C# for animations and interactionsUnderstanding scripting with C# in UnityScaling a bus using a slider and C#Summary
Chapter 6: Building Interactive AR Experiences
Technical requirementsUnderstanding the design patterns and core components of an interactive AR applicationBuilding the foundation of our AR menu applicationDefining the key components of our AR applicationSetting up the environmentDesigning 3D food modelsAdding UI buttons and text elements to our AR menu applicationAdding interactivity to our AR menu applicationAdding the Food script to the sceneAdding the ARPlacePrefab script to the sceneAdding the SwapPrefab script to the sceneSetting up On Click events for the buttonsExploring the completed, interactive AR menu application on a mobile deviceSummary

Chapter 7: Adding Sound and Visual Effects
Technical requirementsUnderstanding sound theory and Unity’s audio systemWhat are frequency and amplitude?Understanding other properties of soundExploring Unity’s audio systemPreparing the VR drum scene and adding sound effectsSetting up and preparing your VR drum sceneCreating and importing 3D models for your VR drum sceneAdding sound effects to your VR drum sceneUnderstanding particle behavior and Unity’s particle systemUnderstanding the behavior of particles in the real worldExploring Unity’s Particle SystemAdding particles to VR scenes with varying propertiesInitializing a Particle System in your VR drum sceneModifying the properties of the Particle System in your VR drum sceneScripting fog appearance on collision for your VR drum sceneSummary
Part 3 – Advanced XR Techniques: Hand-Tracking, Gaze-Tracking, and Multiplayer Capabilities
Chapter 8: Building Advanced XR Techniques
Technical requirementsAdding hand-tracking to XR experiencesUnderstanding hand-tracking and potential use casesImplementing hand-tracking with the XR Interaction ToolkitInteracting with objects in XR experiences via eye- or head-trackingUnderstanding eye-tracking and potential use casesSetting up an XR scene to support eye- and head-trackingInteracting with objects via eye and head gaze using the XR Interaction ToolkitBuilding a VR multiplayer applicationUnderstanding multiplayer applications and multiplayer networking systemsSetting up PUN for our VR multiplayer gameConnecting to the server via Network ManagerTesting the multiplayer scene from one deviceUsing scripts to display our avatar’s hands and faceAnimating the hand modelsEnabling the hand animations at runtimeSummary
Chapter 9: Best Practices and Future Trends in XR Development
Exploring current and future trends in XR technology and applicationsLearning in new realities – XR in educationXR in industrial settings and smart manufacturingBridging the gap from real bodies to virtual worlds – XR in healthcareGaming across realities – XR trends in gamingLearning the best practices for XR developmentHardware considerations in XR developmentUnderstanding your audienceEfficient project management for XREnsuring a good user experienceInput devicesOther useful toolkits and plugins for XR developmentExploring powerful AR toolkits from the Unity Asset StoreExploring powerful VR toolkits from the Unity Asset StoreExploring powerful AI toolkits from the Unity Asset StorePrototyping XR applicationsSummary
Index
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Content preview from XR Development with Unity

Preface

Hi there, and welcome to the exciting and ever-evolving world of Extended Reality (XR) development! If you’re feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about diving into XR development in Unity for the first time, you’re not alone.

But don’t worry – the primary goal of this book is to make XR development accessible to everyone, regardless of prior experience. We’ll use simple language, provide vivid examples, and guide you through every step, from making objects grabbable to writing scripts in C# and incorporating hand-tracking into your scenes. You won’t even need access to a VR headset or AR-compatible smartphone to follow along; you can test most of the projects using simulators on your laptop or PC, ensuring accessibility for all. ...

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XR Development with Unity

by Anna Braun, Raffael Rizzo

Preface

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.